


Meeting

by Tokilock



Category: Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler
Genre: Character Study, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-21
Updated: 2019-01-21
Packaged: 2019-10-13 21:41:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,235
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17495900
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tokilock/pseuds/Tokilock
Summary: It was… weird in retrospect to be even thinking about that woman.





	Meeting

**Author's Note:**

> i rp joker and this is what i get

It was… weird in retrospect to be even thinking about _that_ woman. So much had happened in the past, but at the end of the day, Karen Taylor was the woman who had decided against all odds to bring him into the world.

 

Only to immediately abandon him on his 5th birthday, of course.

 

The memory would sometimes play in his dreams for him. The way the woman would reach out to grab his hand, only to laugh awkwardly as she then moved to stand on the other side of him to to take his hand properly, and not the illusion of where one should be. As a child he thought it was maybe some sort of joke, but as an adult he wondered if it was because she didn’t want to think about it. If she didn’t acknowledge it through words, maybe she didn’t have to worry about it so much. Even if it did bother her. Honestly he had just thought she was off to see another client, despite the change in scenery becoming more and more run down than even what he was used to.

 

“Just wait here, mummy will be back, okay?” She said, leaving him waiting outside a house, patting his head with a smile but - he couldn’t remember her face beyond that smile. Maybe it was a bad habit to actually be used to waiting outside stranger’s houses for his mother, but he knew she was doing it to feed them. Just smiling happily as he waved at her as she wondered out of sight, the last thing the boy remember seeing was the bright orange hair of his mother disappearing around the corner.

 

He remained waiting for hours, which turned into days, which turned into -

 

Joker woke up.

 

 _Not again_.

 

He immediately reached out to grab his right arm, a sigh of relief escaping him as he felt it there. Sure, it was a skeleton arm, but he still _had_ one. It was something there that made him complete. It made him a person; yet it still was just made in the sense that it was him. He felt a little more cheered up remembering the faces Dagger and Beast had made when he’d suggested it’s shape whilst it was under construction. Was it weird to want an arm with some sort of personality? Probably! But since there actually wasn’t any problems with an artificial arm shaped like just bones, he’d managed to get away with it.

 

“Joker-- Jokerrrrrr!"

 

Hearing a voice outside his tent snapped him out of his thoughts, the redhead quickly speaking up. “Hey! I’ll be out in a minute, okay?!”

 

Anyway, the show did have to go on.

 

\---

 

As always everything went down without a hitch. The circus had been situated in a rather wealthy town this time around, but curious children couldn’t help but drag their parents or sitters, or even staff along with them to see the unusual sight. They had everything down to a fine art after all!

 

Actually, maybe he should see if he could get some new performances out of everyone so they could rotate through them again. It was always good to have some variety at the end of the day!

 

Near the end of the show, he was doing some final backstage checks when Dagger tapped him on the shoulder. “Hey-” He whispered. Odd. He didn’t usually lower his voice _at all_.

 

“What-? Did somethin’ happen?” His mind instantly tried to think of everything that could possibly go wrong before he was yanked to the curtain, watching as the blonde pushed it open somewhat and pointed to one of the audience members. “That kid kinda looks familiar, yeah?” Dagger continued to whisper. Eyes turned in the direction he was pointing, but the dim lighting of the bleachers didn’t really help. “Dunno - you’re just overthinkin’ somethin’..” Was all he could mutter before then laughing and shoving Dagger into the spotlight. “Get out there though!”

 

_Why did that bother him?_

 

He remained maybe a little too close to the curtain for a while longer, scanning the crowd. What did Dagger know that he didn’t? Joker usually knew everything in this place, that’s a reason why he ended up so reliable? Not knowing something was bothering him more than he’d like to admit. But, it’d be fine. If he played his cards right he’d be able to catch a better glimpse at the child in question at the end of the show as everyone left the tent. Then he’d find out why their appearance got Dagger’s attention.

 

\---

 

The show did end, and as the Ringmaster, Joker happily stood outside the tent as he watched the crowd leave, waving to everyone with a huge grin on his face, thanking anyone who complimented the show as well.

 

In the middle of the goodbyes and thank yous though, he heard the sound of a woman yelling, feeling a particularly strong gust of breeze pass through, and then looking in the direction, he saw a bonnet fly loose in the air. “Oopsie!” He laughed, running forward and catching it, before then looking up in the direction of it’s owner.

 

“M-”

 

He caught himself before he could say anything else.

Karen Taylor had aged only just a little. It was impossible to tell that over 20 years had passed by her. Even as a child, Joker knew his mother was a beautiful woman. Her once vibrant orange hair had dulled in colour though, but her blue eyes still looked the same. A mirror reflection of his own. In the back of his mind he could hear voices of old ladies saying how much he took after his mother. It was such a shame about the arm… _It was such a shame_ …..

 

“Ah, thank you so much-!” She spoke, taking her bonnet back as she attempted to fix it on her person again. For a moment he thought that even after all this time, she was ignoring him again, but once her bonnet was on safe and sound, she seemed to properly look at him, going silent herself.

 

All at once he wanted to ask her a flood of questions, she was still alive? Why was she here? Why did she abandon him? What happened? Questions kept popping up, his facade almost breaking as he tried to think of something to say that wouldn’t give his identity away. Unless, she had, of course, recognized him.

 

“Hey-”

 

“Mummy!”

 

A child’s voice broke the silence between the two, a young boy running up and grabbing her skirt before then looking up at Joker.

 

Now he understood what Dagger meant.

 

“Hey, is that your mummy?” He laughed, kneeling down to the child’s height, the boy eagerly nodding. “You look just like her! Bet you’re gonna grow up to be super handsome!” He grinned, patting the kid’s head before Karen took his hand. “Yeah! And when I grow up, I’m going to have a big show like yours!” The child laughed in response, waving as he was pulled away by his mother.

 

Joker simply smiled and waved in response, once again watching as the duo left the show grounds, the child chattering happily to the woman as she looked down at him with a warm smile, a gentlemen eventually joining the two of them.

 

_I’m glad you’ve found happiness too, mum._

 

He never dreamt of Karen Taylor again after that.


End file.
